The switch component of an electrical wiring device typically includes a user accessible switch arm, rocker paddle, push button, touch pad, etc. (“switching surface”), a lever arm or suitable linkage attached to the backside of the switching surface, and a line side contact that can be connected/disconnected from a load side contact via operation of the switching surface by the user. A common single switch device for activating a remote receptacle or light, for example, typically presents the switching surface in the center of the electrical wiring device having an on/off motion along the longitudinal axis of the device. When two switches are presented on a single electrical wiring device, or a switch and a receptacle, for example, are presented on a single device, the switching surface(s) operates in a direction that is transverse to the length of the device. Accordingly, switch placement, orientation, size and ergonomics become considerations in modern, functional and aesthetic switch design.
Safety is a further major consideration in the design and operation of electrical wiring devices. For example, a receptacle disposed in an electrical distribution system may supply power through a user attachable plug to a load or to other receptacles. In certain environments where a greater likelihood for an electrical shock hazard exists, such as in a residential bathroom or kitchen, for example, the receptacle may include a circuit protection component, e.g., a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI; however, the use of wiring devices having a circuit protection component or capability is in no way limited to this exemplary environment). GFCIs have been known for many years. Their intended purpose is to protect the electrical power user from electrocution when a hazardous ground fault condition is present. Ground fault conditions are an unintended current path from the line conductor having faulty or damaged insulation to ground. The shock hazard occurs when someone contacts ground and the line conductor at the same time. A fire hazard may occur if the ground fault current results in sufficient heating to ignite nearby combustibles. GFCIs configured to prevent fire but not necessarily protect a user from electrocution are known as ground fault equipment protectors (GFEPs.)
Other known protective devices include arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). Their intended purpose is to protect the electrical power user from fire when a hazardous arcing condition is present. Hazardous arc fault conditions (known as series arc faults) may result from a poor electrical connection in the electrical distribution system supplying power to the load. Hazardous arcing conditions (known as parallel arc faults) may result from a line to line conductor, line to neutral conductor, or line to ground conductor, due to faulty or damaged insulation. The heat associated with the arc fault condition may be sufficient to ignite nearby combustibles.
Known protective devices such as GFCIs, GFEPs, AFCIs or combinations of such devices are configured to protect an electrical distribution system from at least one fault condition. Such devices are typically provided with line terminals for coupling to the supply voltage of the electrical distribution system, and load terminals coupled to the protected portion of the system and a circuit interrupter for disconnection of the load terminals from the line terminals. Load terminals may include plug receptacles for electrical connection of a user attachable load through a plug. Load terminals may include feed-through terminals for attachment to other receptacles. The protective device may be provided with a sensor for sensing the fault, a detector for establishing if the sensed signal represents a true hazardous fault, as opposed to electrical noise, and a switch responsive to the detector sensor, wherein the circuit interrupter comprising the contacts of a relay or trip mechanism are operated by a solenoid responsive to the switch to disconnect the load terminals from the line terminals. The disconnection is also known as tripping. A power supply may be required to furnish power to the sensor, detector, switch or solenoid.
Protective devices are commonly equipped with a test button which the owner of the protective device is instructed to operate periodically to determine the operating condition of the sensor, the detector, the switch, trip mechanism or relay, or power supply, any of which can fail and which may cause the circuit interrupter to not operate to remove power from the load side of the protective device to interrupt the fault. Since the protective device includes both electronic and mechanical components, failure modes may result from normal aging of electronic components, corrosion of mechanical parts, poor connections, mechanical wear, mechanical or overload abuse of the protective device in the field, electrical disturbances such as from lightning, or the like. Once the test has been manually initiated by operating the test button, the outcome of the test has often been indicated mechanically such as by a popping out of a button, visually through a lamp display or pivoting flag that comes into view, or audibly through an annunciator. As an alternative to a manual test, a self-test feature can be added to the protective device for automatic testing such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,388 and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/827,007 filed Apr. 5, 2001 and entitled LOCKOUT MECHANISM FOR USE WITH GROUND AND ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Once the test has been automatically initiated through the self-test feature, the outcome of the test can be indicated by any of the previously described methods or by the permanent disconnection of the load terminals from the line terminals of the protective device component, also known as “lock-out”.
Further variations on circuit protection devices exist. For example, commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 10/768,530, filed on Jan. 30, 2004, entitled CIRCUIT PROTECTION DEVICE WITH GROUNDED NEUTRAL HALF CYCLE SELF TEST teaches a circuit protection device that self checks for ground fault detection every half cycle.
Commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 10/729,392, entitled PROTECTION DEVICE WITH LOCKOUT TEST teaches a device that protects from arc faults and ground faults, which is provided with a manual test feature that permanently denies power to the protected circuit should the test fail. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,510 and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/718,003 filed Nov. 21, 2000, entitled GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER WITH MISWIRE PROTECTION AND INDICATOR teaches a ground fault interrupter device with miswire protection and indicator functions. These three applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Protection devices include a housing such as a receptacle housing. The housing is configured for installation into an outlet box. The outlet box is disposed in a ceiling, wall, floor, counter-top, or the like. Alternatively, the housing is configured to be installed in a load device without necessarily using an outlet box. Receptacle devices have been known to include a protection device and a user accessible switch (hereinafter to be called a combination device.) The switch includes electrical contacts that are connected to a set of switch terminals. The switch terminals are connected or disconnected in response to a rocking motion of the switch. The switch terminals may be conductive portions at the ends of wires. The switch terminals and protective device terminals are connected to the electrical distribution system.
One disadvantage of known combination devices is that the user accessible switch toggles in a motion that is parallel to the minor (latitudinal) axis of the device. The user of the device does not find such rocking motion to be ergonomic. Another disadvantage is that such rocking motion is not consistent with other wiring devices whose rocking motion is perpendicular to the minor axis of the device. Another disadvantage of known combination devices is that the user accessible switch portion of the combination device has been limited in number to a single switch.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a compact switch assembly for use in an electrical wiring device that is functional and ergonomic. There is also a recognized need for a combination device (i.e., circuit interrupter and one or more switch assemblies) that is ergonomic and convenient to use.